A Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane tipped to one side and took on water when one of its floats broke as it taxied towards the seaplane terminal at Velana International Airport. Videos of the incident were widely shared online. All passengers and crew were evacuated, TMA said. A crew member who was working on the float when it broke was taken to hospital, but the injury was not believed to be serious, an MACL official told Mihaaru. MACL said the water aerodrome stayed open, and TMA said it was investigating.
MIRA defended its tax audits saying that it enforces tax laws equally on all taxpayers regardless of the type or size of their business, after MMA Governor Ahmed Munawwar told parliament's budget committee that MIRA was focusing audits on corner shops instead of resorts, noting that only about 50 resorts pay business profit tax. MIRA said businesses are selected for audit under a risk-based compliance framework that covers tourism and other sectors, which generate a large share of its revenue, and that small businesses are given concessions on bookkeeping, audits and filing tax returns, while action is taken against those who deliberately evade tax.
President Muizzu established a 12-member Advisory Council of National Honourees, which he will chair, to advise him on matters of national interest, governance and administration. Its members, all recipients of state honours, are Abdullah Kamaluddin, Abbas Ibrahim, Abdul Rasheed Hussain, Aneesa Ahmed, retired Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel, Dr Mohamed Latheef, Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa, Ibrahim Ismail Ali, Ahmed Naseem, Badhrunaseer, Adam Abdul Rahman and Ahmed Shakir.
More than 70 land reclamation projects covering about 2,500 hectares have been carried out at a cost of about MVR19 billion (US$1.2 billion) over the past 30 years, but much of the reclaimed land has been left unused as electricity and water networks are not set up for reclaimed areas, Auditor General Hussein Niyazy told parliament's budget committee. He said land plots worth about MVR15 billion in Hulhumalé was given away under the Binveriyaa land scheme, and that about 80 percent of reclamation costs could have been recovered had the land been used commercially. He advised including a commercial component in reclamation projects.
The Civil Court ordered MDP MP Dr Ahmed Shamheed to repay US$281,474 owed to Maldives Islamic Bank over a US$500,000 loan to Duplex Private Limited, for which he and four other shareholders signed as guarantors. The court held them jointly and individually liable and ordered them to pay the money in monthly instalments over six months. Shamheed, who is contesting the MDP's presidential primary, could lose his seat under the constitution if he fails to pay the court-ordered debt, as Addu Hithadhoo North MP Ahmed Sinan did in a similar case.
Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation recorded 92 cases of residents breaching rules for its government flats, issuing fines in 23, including 44 cases of unauthorised alterations, 18 of unauthorised subletting and 16 of damage to public spaces. The number of units not paying rent regularly has fallen from 564 to 495 since October after it cancelled agreements for two flats over unpaid rent last month.
President Muizzu called for greater international support for the Maldives' clean energy transition, including affordable financing, access to technology and investment in infrastructure, telling a COP31 high-level dialogue in Antalya, Türkiye, that cutting dependence on imported fuel is a national priority. Muizzu said meeting the target of generating 33 per cent of electricity from renewables would require major investment in generation and storage. The geographic dispersion of islands raises the cost of developing and maintaining energy infrastructure, he said.
HPA urged the public to take precautions as influenza spreads widely alongside the common cold, warning that influenza can become serious in children under five, particularly those under two. Parents should seek medical care immediately if a young child has not urinated for six to ten hours, becomes very weak or is not breastfeeding properly, the HPA said, advising frequent handwashing and wearing masks when symptomatic or in crowded places.
The Civil Court authorised Malé City Council to remove and dispose of four liveaboard vessels abandoned in Malé lagoon by private company Seashuttle Maldives, three of which have sunk, if the company does not remove them within 10 days. The court, ruling in the company's absence, also ordered it to pay MVR75,446 in unpaid berthing fees and fines within 15 days, after it ignored repeated notices from the council since January 2024.
Maldivian Blood Services introduced a digital thalassaemia card to replace the printed card issued after screening, showing whether a person is a carrier. The digital card includes a QR code to verify its authenticity and provide information and guidance for thelassaemia careers on family planning. The card is currently issued by email and WhatsApp.
